UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE

March 2003

State Magazine

Baku, Azerbaijan
A Complex History,
A Bright Future
Contents
In our next issue:
En Route
to Timbuktu

Photo by Tim Trenkle

Women beating rice after harvest on
the irrigated perimeter of the Niger River.

State
Magazine
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Contents
 State Magazine

Contents Department of State • United States of America

March 2003
No. 465

18 8 Post of the Month: Baku

C O L U M N S
This hardship post has its challenges and rewards.

13 Office of the Month: e-Diplomacy 2 From the Secretary

An office dedicated to exploiting technology. 7 Direct from the D.G.
16 Travel Card
This card is for official use only. D E P A R T M E N T S

17 Shadowing 3 Letters to the Editor

Area students shadow employees.
4 In the News
18 Kabul Hosts U.S.-Afghan Council on Women
Educating Afghan women is key to the country’s future. 34 Medical Report
21 Congressional Fellow 36 People Like You
Things sure look different from the Hill.
38 Appointments
23 Safe Communities
Ankara supports drive for safe driving. 39 Personnel Actions

An Afghan girl watches a child. 26 Free and Fair Elections in Kenya 40 Obituaries
Youth observes elections firsthand.

28 Bali Bombing
Bali resembles a war zone to former soldier.

30 Entry-Level Officers Gather UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE

March 2003

Conferences cover fertile ground.

State Magazine

A view of Baku and the Caspian Sea.

Baku, Azerbaijan
A Complex History,
A Bright Future

On the Cover
Baku, situated on the
western shore of the Caspian
Sea, is the capital and cultural
center of Azerbaijan.
Photo © Sovfoto/
Eastfoto/PictureQuest
 FROM THE SECRETARY
SECRETARY COLIN L. POWELL

On ‘the Front
Lines of Offense”
A long with the snows of the new year in Washington comes the new budget season.
This is my third year testifying before Congress on behalf of the State Department
budget. I take great pride in going before the relevant committees to represent our
Department’s needs in a world that requires the very best people and policies we can put on
the front lines of diplomacy.
During the first two years of the Bush Administration, Congress has given our Department
strong support. Clearly, Congress is firmly behind what the men and women of the State
Department are doing on the front lines of diplomacy as we take our message, our value sys-
tem and our beliefs to the rest of the world.
In the old days of the Cold War, we could view our role through the simple lens of superpower
rivalry. That is no longer the case. In today’s world, we have to address poverty and disease,
including HIV/AIDS. We have to deal with nations that are no longer behind iron or bamboo
curtains, but are trying to find their way forward to democracy in the free enterprise system.
To succeed, we need a world-class State Department. President Bush’s budget request rec-
ognizes that fact and asks for approximately $8.5 billion for the people, places and tools we
need to promote American foreign policy around the world.
Let me highlight what these funds are for. First, after two successful years reinforcing our
diplomatic force, we intend to bring 399 more professionals on board. This hiring will bring us
to the 1,100-plus new Foreign Service and Civil Service officers we set out to hire over the first
three years of my tenure to bring the State Department’s personnel back in line with its diplo-
matic workload.
Second, people who can’t communicate rapidly and effectively in today’s globalizing world
can’t conduct our foreign policy. So we have worked to bring state-of-the-art telecommunica-
tions, computer and Internet capability to the Department.
We have to make sure that we give all of our people in every embassy the real time capa-
bility to know what is going on and to convey that message to our audiences around the
world. In both unclassified and classified communications capability, including desktop access
to the Internet, every man and woman in the State Department must be connected. The
President’s FY 2004 budget will move us well along in that direction.
Finally, I have wanted to sweep the slate clean and completely revamp the way we construct
our embassies and other overseas buildings. Our facilities must be better places to work and
they must be more secure. That is a long-term task, particularly in this time of heightened ter-
rorist activity. But we are well on the way to implementing both the construction and the secu-
rity tasks in a better way and creating a firm foundation for subsequent State Department lead-
ers to continue and improve upon.
Our Overseas Buildings Operations, under the leadership of retired Gen. “Chuck” Williams,
has done a great job in bringing down the costs of our embassy facilities around the world and
doing it in a way that makes maximum use of modern technology, modern construction tech-
niques and modern construction management techniques.
We work in challenging times. But I believe there is even more opportunity in the days
ahead. American leadership is essential in times of peril and promise.
Together, with the support of President Bush, Congress and the American people, we can
meet the dangers, capture the opportunities and build a better world. ■

2 State Magazine Contents

 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

strikes me as inappropriate and tone debate difficult issues in public.

deaf to the mood in Washington and According to the artist, “All I really
the rest of the country. know as the truth is what I ob-
Yes, freedom of speech includes serve…this is where our country is
protecting speech that we disagree strong, we are a democracy.”
with, including speech by organiza- We believe it appropriate to exhibit
tions that oppose U.S. policies Ms. Phrogus’s work in the ambas-
abroad and that associate with com- sador’s residence. To disavow Free-
munist organizations. But I can only dom of Speech would only endorse the
wonder whether anyone associated very government censorship that we
Freedom of Speech, by artist Jessica Phrogus.
with this piece of art, either in deplore in less democratic nations.
Washington or Caracas, has read a Anne Johnson
Art for an Ambassador’s newspaper in the past year or two. Director
Residence? Robert Fretz Art in Embassies Program
Accompanying your January fea- Consul General
ture on the Art in Embassies program U.S. Embassy, Bridgetown A Clarification
is a photo of a ceramic tile work, Several readers expressed concern
Freedom of Speech, destined for the Response about the photograph of the alu-
ambassador’s residence in Caracas, We appreciate the concern Mr. minum ladder next to an electrical
that includes a group belonging to Fretz expressed in his letter to the panel in December’s safety section on
Campus Women for Peace. editor and thank him for taking the taking falls seriously. The respondents
The Internet describes the group as time to write. correctly noted that the electrical
a 1960s campus organization at Berk- Freedom of Speech by artist Jessica shock hazard is greater than the fall.
eley opposed to military action, civil Phrogus visually documents one of While the photograph was selected
defense and U.S. policy in Vietnam. our nation’s oldest and most impor- to demonstrate this, the caption failed
The group also met with women’s tant tenets, the right of its citizens to to convey the message intended.
groups active in the former Soviet publicly voice their opinions—a right Paragraph six of the article directly
Union. The only women’s groups protected by the First Amendment. addressed the shock hazard when
leaving the U.S.S.R. then were com- As a democracy we pride ourselves using an aluminum ladder and we
munist party organizations, so one can on our many civil rights. The U.S. always instruct post employees never
only guess at the Berkeley group’s government, including the Depart- to use such a ladder when performing
sympathies. ment of State, promotes these rights electrical work. We will make certain
That a piece of art depicting such a at home and abroad. that captions under future photo-
group would hang in an ambassado- In recording a controversial mo- graphs convey the intended message.
rial residence just as the United ment from U.S. history, Freedom of Daniel L. Harman
States may be preparing to go to war Speech exemplifies that Americans Industrial Hygienist
Safety, Health and
Environmental Management
From the Editor
Thanks to a reader’s suggestion, we have provided a map with our Post
of the Month, Baku, so that everyone, young and old, will know where in
the world we’re talking about. Look for more maps in the future.
Corrections
Closer to home, our Office of the Month, e-Diplomacy, may be little
known as well. But rather than draw a map, we’ve provided text and pho- A photo in our January article on
tos to help you understand one of the newer kids on the block. Art in Embassies incorrectly identi-
And speaking of youth, our story about observing elections in Kenya fied Elizabeth Ash as the person
was contributed by a young member of the diplomatic community who unpacking a painting with Cohn
traveled with his elders to villages beyond Nairobi to observe firsthand an Drennan. Instead, it was colleague
equally youthful democracy. Rebecca Clark.
We have come to know terrorism all too well and our eyewitness
story on Bali is further testament to its tragic results for victims and sur- In December’s Our Town feature,
vivors alike. retirees Jim and Carol Steeves of
Albuquerque were incorrectly iden-
tified as Jim and Carol Reeves.

Contents March 2003 3

 I N
Bureau Previews
Corridor Project
The Bureau of Administration is designing a new look
for the corridors of the Harry S Truman Building.
The project will create an identification scheme that
simplifies navigating the building, clarifies and cele-
brates the Department, uses global images to remind
employees of the scope of the Department’s work and
incorporates color and unique design elements with
graphic themes to serve as useful landmarks.
The concept will form a comprehensive design that
will be incorporated into all future renovations.
The bureau unveiled a prototype of the corridor-
improvement project on the sixth floor recently to
Secretary Powell.
The new signage concept ultimately will be used at
primary corridor intersections and in elevator lobbies
Photo by Mark Stewart
Bill Eaton, assistant secretary for Administration, describes new corridor project to Under Secretary for Management Grant Green, left, and Secretary
Powell. Aides Vince Chaverini and Mark Butowsky look on.
4 State Magazine
T H E N E W S
throughout the Truman Building. The theme for this
first intersection is “transportation.” Individualized
graphic themes will differ at each building intersection,
although with similar color palettes to identify each cor-
ridor. Color-coded directories and room signs will also
be displayed.
The mock-up is only part of the larger system. The
bureaus and offices along each corridor will also receive
new identification and mission-related display areas to
identify their offices, add visual interest along the halls
and provide office information.
The project is part of the bureau’s goal to enhance the
work environment in domestic facilities. Other major
improvements scheduled this year include the cafeteria
and the Delegates’ Lounge.
 I N T H E N E W S

USAID Official Honored in Amman

Laurence Foley, the U.S. Agency for International
Development employee shot and killed in Amman
last October as he was getting into his car outside his
home, was honored with a plaque commemorating
a lifetime of public service.
Ambassador Edward W. “Skip” Gnehm Jr. and
Toni Christiansen-Wagner, USAID mission director,
unveiled the plaque Dec. 22 at the U.S. Embassy in
Amman before more than 100 employees. The
ambassador said Mr. Foley, 60, devoted his life to
public service, improved living conditions for peo-
ple in several parts of the world and was known for
his sense of humor even under the most trying cir-
cumstances.
A tree was also planted in remembrance of Mr.
Foley.
Following the ceremony, a video of a memorial
service held in Washington was shown to mission Ambassador Edward W. “Skip” Gnehm Jr., left, and USAID Mission Director Toni
staff. Christiansen-Wagner unveil a plaque commemorating the life of Laurence Foley.

Military Call-Ups Outpace Releases

Thirty-seven employees who are in the guard and
reserve are serving on active duty, up from 20 employees
more than a year ago. During that time, 23 employees
were also released and returned to work.
The steady call-ups—although limited, considering
there are 1,010 reserve and guard members in the
Department—have outpaced the releases. In all, 60
employees have been affected by the war on terrorism,
better known as Operation Enduring Freedom.
“We have seen an increase in the number of Department
employee military reservists being called up for active
duty,” Ruth A. Davis, director general of the Foreign
Service and director of Human Resources, stated in a
memo to Under Secretary for Management Grant Green.
Diplomatic Security, with 15 employees on active duty, is
the bureau hardest hit.
“We have so many people with military backgrounds,
the impact could be considerable if more people are
called up,” says Susan Edmondson, director of Diplo-
matic Security’s administrative office.

Army Master Sgt. Jacquelyn Carrington, far left, a

presidential management intern in the Bureau of
Human Resources, was recalled to active duty
Jan.13 and expects her tour to last 18 months.
Assigned to the logistics directorate of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon, Ms. Carrington has
been in the Army 21 years.
Photos by Paul Koscak

Timothy Walsh, left, a former diplomatic security

agent who works in the office of the coordinator
for counterterrorism, recently returned to the
State Department after serving a year on active
duty. A 23-year Army veteran, Mr. Walsh is a lieu-
tenant colonel in the Army reserve’s Special
Forces command.

March 2003 5
 I N T H E N E W S

Tunis Interior view of the Tunis chancery.

Dedicates
New Embassy
Tunisia, the site of Carthage and home to Phoenician,
Roman and Islamic architecture, recently welcomed a
new monument—the U.S. Embassy in Tunis. The combi-
nation of Islamic architectural principles with modern
American materials and security elements symbolizes
more than two centuries of friendship and cooperation

Photos courtesy of Tai Soo Kim Partners

between the two countries.
The architecture recalls the old city in capturing the
spirit of classical Tunisian design and incorporates local
motifs into a U.S.-style workplace. The vision of a man-
sion in a park includes a main chancery surrounded by 11
auxiliary buildings, four guardhouses and seven acres of
landscaped lawns and fountains.
The chancery’s interior is built around a series of courts
that evoke traditional houses of the market. Local stone
and tile work pay homage to popular Tunisian colors and
styles, while the design itself employs traditional strategies
for natural lighting and sun protection. Behind the main schedule, with the dedication on Dec. 10, two years after
chancery, a series of olive tree groves have been planted to groundbreaking.
take advantage of the water retention ponds, a system of More than 750 people attended the dedication.
irrigation designed to maximize natural water collection. Speakers included Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern
The new embassy symbolizes the very best of the Affairs William Burns, Overseas Buildings Operations
Tunisian/American cooperative spirit, involving more Director Charles E. Williams, Ambassador Rust M.
than 3,400 local workers. The construction and occupa- Deming and Tunisian Secretary of State for Foreign
tion of the $82 million embassy were accomplished on Affairs Saida Chtioui. —Stephanie Syptak

Exterior view of the new chancery in Tunis. Contents

 DIRECT FROM THE D.G.
AMBASSADOR RUTH A. DAVIS
Join Us for
Foreign Affairs Day
D
uring these cold winter
months, I look forward
to spring and the return
of cherry blossoms and
Department retirees for Foreign
Affairs Day, May 9.
This is “homecoming” day at
the Department of State, a day for
reminiscing, reconnecting and dis-
cussion with our retired Civil
Service and Foreign Service col-
leagues. Just because you have
retired does not mean you are for-
gotten. Retirement is just another
phase of your State Department
career. Though we may demand
less of your time, we want to see
you at Foggy Bottom, to tell you
we miss you, to find out how you
are doing and to let you know how
things have been with us since you
left. We also want to give you a chance to catch up, swap
stories and trade e-mail addresses with other retired col-
leagues.
Attendance has been unprecedented at the last two
Foreign Affairs events. I have a hunch attendees came not
just for the varied and stimulating programs we offered
but for our ever popular keynote speaker, Secretary
Powell. He plans to give the keynote address and preside
at the AFSA memorial plaque ceremony again this year,
and I hope we’ll have a standing-room-only crowd.
Secretary Powell has breathed new life into the tradi-
tion that is Foreign Affairs Day. He has made it a day
when we honor all State retirees. He has made the Harry
S Truman Building more accessible to retirees. In turn, he
appealed to you all to take the message of U.S. diploma-
cy to the American people, to help direct talented recruits
our way and to mentor those who are coming after you.
Retired employees are some of our best recruiters.
During Foreign Affairs Day, we also honor and remem-
ber those who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
Sadly, this year we will add six more colleagues’ names
to the AFSA memorial plaque at the C Street entrance.
The ceremony will once again
remind us that the State family is
on the front lines, protecting
American interests under circum-
stances rendered dangerous simply
because of whom we are.
We are working constantly to
improve Foreign Affairs Day. We
have heeded your feedback and
scheduled seminars on everything
from the latest on the Secretary’s
Diplomatic Readiness Initiative
and refugee issues to the situation
in the Middle East and North
Korea. We know many of you want
to interact with your former
bureaus and our small-group semi-
nars will permit that.
Let me give you a snapshot of the
schedule. The day will begin in the
Delegates’ Lounge over coffee and
pastries, with an opportunity to reminisce, followed by a
foreign policy speech. The AFSA memorial plaque cere-
mony and the Secretary’s keynote address will follow.
Before breaking for lunch, we will have two rounds of
small-group seminars led by assistant secretaries. This
will be an occasion for dialogue and exchange—when we
can hear your thoughts and benefit from your expertise.
The day will conclude with the traditional luncheon in
the historic Benjamin Franklin Room, where I will pres-
ent the Director General’s and the Foreign Service Cups.
It is amazing how far people travel for this reunion. It
is only February as I write this column, but already we
have received calls from California asking, “When is
Foreign Affairs Day?” and “How do I make sure to get an
invitation?”
Well, here is the answer: invitations will go out in ear-
ly March. If you want to make sure you are on the list or
to find out more information, e-mail foreignaffairsday@
state.gov or call Peter Whaley at 202-663-2383.
This will be the Department’s 38th annual homecoming
for retirees and all of us look forward to having you back,
if only for a day. Please mark your calendars now! ■
Contents March 2003 7
The Temple of Fire was originally built by followers of Zoroaster.
Post of the Month:

BAKU
By Lilia Lally and Theresa Markiw

S ipping tea in a carpet shop straight

out of an Arabian Nights fairy

tale. Shopping in the very modern

stores around Fountain Square. Climbing the

12th century Maiden’s Tower in the old city

and gazing out over the smooth sheet of the

Caspian Sea. Strolling “the boulevard” along

the shore of the Bay of Baku.

These are just some of the pleasures

employees of the U.S. Embassy in Baku enjoy

Photo by Lilia Lally

in the fascinating country of Azerbaijan.

 efforts against international ter-
rorism. In January 2002, President
Bush waived section 907 of the
Freedom Support Act that had
restricted most forms of assis-
tance to the government. The
waiver has allowed the embassy
to expand its cooperation with
Office of the Geographer and Global Issues, INR

the Azerbaijani government—

promoting regional stability,
developing a market economy
and fostering democratic reform
and civil society.
The embassy is also strengthen-
ing its bilateral military-to-mili-
tary ties, reinforcing Azerbaijan’s
maritime boundaries and work-
ing with Azerbaijani customs and
border guards to monitor and
stop the transit of dangerous peo-
ple and materials. The mission is
About the size of Portugal, Azerbaijan sits on the western also working with Russia and France to reach a negotiated
edge of the Caspian Sea. The country is a land of contrasts— settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between
from high mountains and flat plains to deserts and subtrop- Azerbaijan and Armenia.
ical lushness. The capital, Baku, is home to about one-third To meet all these challenges, the embassy has more
of the country’s eight million people. The city sprawls along than doubled its staff in the last two years to approxi-
the northern shore of the Bay of Baku on the Apsheron mately 50 Americans and 230 local employees. The
Peninsula, which juts into the Caspian Sea. Azerbaijan bor- embassy is located in central Baku. The chancery, built in
ders Russia, Iran, Georgia, Armenia and Turkey. 1908 as the home of a famous Baku architect, is one of
Humans have inhabited the Caucasus region for at many ornate buildings that sprang up during the first
least 200,000 years. Newcomers to the area in the last Azerbaijani oil boom at the beginning of the 20th centu-
1,300 years include Arabs, Turks, Mongols, Persians and ry. The chancery boasts one of the most beautiful gardens
Russians. Briefly independent during the turmoil after in town and employees enjoy their lunch there year-
World War I, Azerbaijan celebrated the 10th year of its round in Azerbaijan’s temperate climate.
second independence in October 2001.
Azerbaijan has a long, complex history. But these
days it’s looking forward to a potentially bright future.
The country rests on an estimated 31 billion barrels of
oil and 4 trillion cubic meters of gas. The signing of the
Contract of the Century in 1994 marked a turning point
for Azerbaijan. This contract granted development
rights to foreign oil companies over three large oil
fields. Since then, other production-sharing agreements
have been signed, and projects have been developed for
pipelines to take the region’s oil and gas to internation-
al markets, pumping billions of dollars of investment
into the country. The Caspian Oil and Gas Show is the
major business event of the year, attracting attendees
from around the world.
But the oil boom has not reached everyone. At least half
of the country’s population still lives below the poverty line
and most rural inhabitants engage in subsistence agricul-
Photo by Lilia Lally

ture. Following the breakup of the Soviet Union, agricul-

tural land was privatized. The government has made com-
mitments to other key reforms, but the business climate
remains challenging and corruption is still pervasive.
Azerbaijan gave the United States its unqualified sup-
port in the wake of Sept. 11 and offered assistance to U.S. Sgt. Ed Burke, right, checks equipment with Ilgar Jafargulazade.

10 State Magazine
Embassy staff gather in the chancery garden to celebrate the 10th anniversary of U.S.-Azerbaijani relations. Photo by Heydar Aslanov

For leisure, employees hike in the mountains, ride UNESCO World Heritage site. Inside the maze of narrow
horses in Baku’s new indoor stables and shop for cobblestone streets is the medieval Caravansarai, a tradi-
antiques. Shopping for food in the open bazaars is fun, tional inn where weary travelers on the fabled Silk Road
too. There are always fresh fruits and vegetables, but in once stayed overnight with their horses and camels. Today
season there are pyramids of pomegranates, strawber- it is a restaurant with musicians playing traditional instru-
ries, raspberries, lemons, melons and quince, surrounded ments and diners enjoying traditional foods.
by mounds of olives, dried apricots,
almonds, hazelnuts and fragrant spices.
And then there’s the famous caviar. These
fish eggs harvested from the mythic stur-
geon that inhabit the Caspian Sea are cov-
eted by connoisseurs the world over. In
Baku, you can find beluga, sevruga and
osetra caviar. These would cost a small
fortune in the United States, but they are
readily available and most affordable
here. A growing number of western-style
grocery stores also offer a variety of
imported goods.
Azerbaijan is a hardship assignment and
it’s true that living here has its challenges.
Robert Hensley, left, general
Photo by Lilia Lally

But Baku is an attractive and cosmopolitan services officer, confers with

city with a multitude of restaurants, pubs, procurement professionals Lala
museums and cultural activities. It is also Aghahuseynova, seated, and
fascinating and ancient. The heart of Baku Dima Volkov.
is the old walled city, recently declared a

March 2003 11
 Foreign Service Officer Tess Moore, seated,
Photo by Lilia Lally

is surrounded by budget and finance staff.

They are, from left, Intigam Abdilov, Tamilla
Gadashyeva, Rufat Aghayev, Heydar Aslanov
and Shalala Huseynova.

If you’re looking for great bargains, there’s no better

place than the arts and crafts shops of the old city. Azeri
carpets, known for their multicolored designs and varied
motifs, are indeed bargains as are kilim pillows, camel
saddlebags and woven door hangings. Beautiful gold
and silver filigree jewelry, copperware and antiques
abound. If your taste runs to the more modern, there are
many art galleries displaying the work of talented
Azerbaijani artists.
Beyond Baku are all sorts of intriguing destinations that
can be reached easily by car and offer good accommoda-
tions. Others require four-wheel drive and an adventurous
spirit. For example, Quba, several hours north of Baku, is
nestled in a wooded, hilly area with pleasant scenery and
wildlife. Along the coast of the Caspian Sea near the Iranian
border lies the city of Lenkoran, surrounded by cypress trees,
vineyards, orange groves and tea plantations. Then there are
the historic cities of Sheki and Lahij, as well as Zoroastrian
fire temples and bizarre mud volcanoes. Azerbaijan has
more of these than any other country in the world.
Photo by Lilia Lally

Azerbaijan is a multifaceted country with a rich and sto-

ried past and a bright, beckoning future. Doubtless, this
small Caucasus nation will play an important role in the
coming century. ■

Ms. Lally is the co-community liaison officer and Ms. Consular staff at work are, from left, Victor Kastrulin, Gulnara Mekhty-
Markiw the public affairs officer in Baku. Zade and Jeniffer Fasciglione.

12 State Magazine Contents

 Office of the Month:

Advancing e-Diplomacy
“The success of U.S. diplomacy in this new century depends in no small
measure on whether we exploit the promise of the technology revolution.”
—Secretary Powell
By Joseph Merante

A
t the State Department, the names of
offices usually say it all. Hear “Brazil
Desk” or “nonproliferation”—or the suf-
fix “ex” attached to anything—and you
pretty much know what the office does.
Not so with “e-Diplomacy.” Most react with
raised eyebrows. When one former ambassa-
dor was told that the Department had just
formed an Office of e-Diplomacy, he respond-
ed: “e-Gad.” So, quickly defining e-Diplomacy

Photo by Dave Krecke

became the first order of business.
“The first thing we did when we started last
July,” recounts Ambassador James Holmes,
office director, “was to clarify our role. And
that is to put the business practitioner of the
Department—whether a political officer in
Europe or a consular officer in Africa—at the
forefront of our decisions on new technology.”
Photo by Harry Ponting
Bruce Burton, left, Jerry Gallucci and Ned Alford talk shop in e-Diplomacy's office.
The Office of e-Diplomacy reflects three strong commit-
ments by Secretary Powell and Under Secretary for
Management Green. The first is to give Department person-
nel the best technology possible—smart, simple and
secure—to exploit the pace and scope of diplomacy in the
new century. The second is to ensure that this technology
truly reflects the needs of individual users and advances the
Department’s business practices. The third is to make much
better use of the knowledge and experience of the
Department and its superb work force.
“With these commitments behind us, we know our
mission,” Mr. Holmes said. “It is to enhance the
Department’s leadership in diplomacy by fostering a
knowledge-sharing culture and by putting innovative

new technologies in the hands of those who need them.

Michael Bishton looks on as Jim Holmes brings up the e-Diplomacy
web site.
We’ve made progress in both areas.”
The 10-person office has moved ahead on several fronts:
■ It has negotiated State’s participation in the Open
Source Information System, a communications network
of nearly 50 federal agencies. This will give State users a
rich menu of information sources in the sensitive-but-
unclassified environment and the means to collaborate

March 2003 13

Photo by Dave Krecke
Jim Holmes, center, director of the Office of e-Diplomacy, chairs a meeting of informa-
tion technology representatives from other bureaus.
and exchange information with other agencies.
■ It was the driving force in the pilot project with the
U.S. Embassy in Budapest, which has produced the new
“web in a box” software that will give posts and bureaus
an easy-to-use, self-service capability for posting content
on the unclassified and classified (SIPRNet) networks
(see sidebar).
■ It is overseeing the collection and representation of user
contributions to the development of the new SMART mes-
saging system to be deployed by the end of FY04.
■ It is working with other offices to develop the strate-
gies for two major programs: knowledge-management
and e-Government. They are among the five main ele-
ments of the President’s Management Agenda.
“All these are pieces of a whole,” Mr. Holmes said.
“Access to OSIS is a major step forward in connecting
Photo by Michael Bishton
Ideas are the lifeblood of e-Diplomacy, and it looks like Harry Ponting
just caught one.
14 State Magazine
State to other agencies, crucial for homeland
security. The ‘web in a box’ technology will
enable State to project a robust presence on
OSIS and on the classified network as well.
Now we need to exploit the breakthroughs.”
e-Diplomacy plans to do that in several ways.
“Training is critical,” according to Jerry Gallucci,
the office’s deputy director. “We want State
users to know how to use these tools and why it
is important they do so.”
The office also has been working with the
Bureau of Consular Affairs to use the new OSIS
connection to link consular and INS databases.
“This will be a huge achievement,” Mr.
Gallucci said. “Our consular officers will be
able to check visa applicants against INS’s
databases virtually in realtime. And it will
Photo by Dave Krecke
Mickey Skelton and Dave Jefferson from the business center participate
in the e-Diplomacy meeting.
open the door to links with other important law enforce-
ment databases as well.”
e-Diplomacy will advocate Department adoption of
other key technologies that will serve as a foundation for
a range of objectives—better use of the Department’s
knowledge base, collaboration within and without State,
knowledge-sharing and e-Government.
“By the time the new messaging system comes online,”
Mr. Holmes said, “we think State users should benefit
from three programs well within our technological
grasp—a portal page that will integrate a lot of capabili-
ties right on their desktops, a global directory that will let
them easily access services and other people and a
portable personal ID that will let them tap into the
Department globally.”
The goal of e-Diplomacy is not to “revolutionize
diplomacy,” the official said. Rather, it seeks “evolution-
ary changes in the way we work and carry out our
diplomatic mission.”
Although e-Diplomacy is designing new means for the
Department to transmit, manage and access information,
the office is also an advocate of ways to increase every-
day efficiency within current technological capabilities.
Mr. Gallucci, who manages e-Diplomacy’s web site
(http://ediplomacy.state.gov/), says success will depend
e-Diplomacy Abroad
By Samuel Laeuchli
T
he web-based technology introduced into
the Department’s classified systems offers
great potential for improving the way it
reports information. Since the spring of 2001,
the embassy in Budapest has been engaged
in a project to take advantage of this technology.
The system developed in Budapest has three
“legs.” One is a daily report, delivered by e-mail,
that highlights key information on Hungary that
Washington and other consumers need to know.
The second consists of “non-cables,” similar in con-
tent to cables but sent as Microsoft Word attach-
ments to e-mail messages. These non-cables are
more readable than cables and can include pictures
and graphs as well as text. The final leg is a web site
that uses “cold fusion” web technology. It lets us be
our own webmasters without the complexity of
normal web publishing software.
The IRM business center and
e-Diplomacy have provided the
software and tailored it to the
embassy’s needs. The site can be
accessed on SIPRNET at http://
budapest.state.sgov.gov/.
This is a different communica-
tion system that doesn’t use
cables to transmit information,
but it requires two things: a dra-
matic change in the way an
embassy does business and front
office support. From the begin-
ning, two successive deputy
chiefs of mission have given the
project their full support, engag-
The author in his office in Budapest.
ing the whole embassy. Several
upon an active flow of fresh ideas and suggestions from
users. He says feedback registered at the office web site
will be answered, and he invites those in Washington to
the weekly “e-Dip” lunch in the cafeteria. This informal
gathering takes place every Tuesday from noon to 1:30
p.m. at the table marked “e-Dip.” ■
The author works in the Office of e-Diplomacy.
sections and many officers contribute to the daily
reports. Non-cables are produced on political, eco-
nomic, military, scientific and other topics.
Background information, biographies and key issues
papers are posted to the web site by different sections
of the embassy. Hence, there is no greater online
repository of information on Hungary in the U.S.
government than our site. Slowly, it is becoming a
one-stop shopping center for those who need infor-
mation on Hungary.
This system of reporting has involved a change in
business practices by producers and consumers. It is
not only an IT issue. Producing a daily report requires
constant focus and collaboration among sections on
what is important for information consumers to
know. The embassy must decide what types of infor-
mation are transmitted via each reporting format.
These are management decisions about substantive
issues. Finally, the system needs a day-to-day manag-
er, who sees that it works. Without such a manager,
the whole system could stall.
Any embassy wishing to imple-
ment a similar reporting system
will need to appoint a substan-
tive manager whose primary
responsibility is managing this
flow of information.
While these steps represent a
significant investment of an
embassy’s time and resources,
the increase in the quality of
information flowing to con-
sumers and the impact on poli-
cy make it worth the effort. ■
The author is a political officer at
the U.S. Embassy in Budapest.
Contents March 2003 15
 Use Your Government
By Karna E. Thompson
T
he Transportation and Travel Reform Act of
1998 requires employees to use the govern-
ment travel charge card to pay for official
travel. The card streamlines how employees’
official travel is funded and replaces cash
advances.
Officials discourage the use of personal credit cards for
official travel, citing both the 1998 legislation and the
Foreign Affairs Handbook, which states that employees
who travel more than once a year must use the travel
card. Employees who decline to apply for and use the
government credit card for official travel are ineligible for
cash advances.
The Office of Financial Over-
sight and Coordination in the
Bureau of Resource Management
provides central guidance for the
Department’s travelcard program,
relying on coordinators to admin-
ister the approximately 7,600 trav-
el cards issued to employees in
more than 150 locations stateside
and overseas. The coordinators
tell employees about the program;
maintain an up-to-date list of all
accounts; process account mainte-
nance forms; answer cardholder questions; review month-
ly reports and follow up with delinquent cardholders.
The FOC is the liaison between the coordinators, card-
holders and the bank. The office maintains regulations and
department procedures; communicates program informa-
tion; keeps a list of all coordinators and cardholders; and
monitors delinquency and travel card abuse.
A letter notifies cardholders when their accounts are 90
days past due. The employing bureau is also notified and
is asked to counsel the employee to pay the travel card
balance in a timely manner. If the cardholder’s account
remains unpaid after 120 days, past due wages are gar-
nisheed. The employee’s executive officer is notified of
the continued outstanding balance and the employee is
Travel Card Responsibly
16 State Magazine
referred to the Office of Employee Relations in the
Bureau of Human Resources for administrative action.
To date, the wages of 11 employees have been gar-
nisheed.
The FOC monitors misuse of the travel card. Misuse is
defined as any charges that are not authorized in a travel
authorization. Each month, travelcard transaction reports
are reviewed for questionable charges. In addition, a
search is performed for transactions of employees with
spotty payment histories, cash advances and purchases
exceeding a predetermined amount. Once potential mis-
use is identified, a misuse assessment form is e-mailed to
the bureau program coordinator. Misuse is determined
from the information on the form. After two instances of
misuse, the employee is referred
to the employing bureau for coun-
seling. If misuse continues, the
employee is referred to the Office
of Employee Relations.
Cardholder and bureau pro-
gram coordinator information
should be updated when employ-
ees change locations. Cardholders
David Muir/Masterfile
should notify the bank of their
current address. Cardholders
should immediately tell their
coordinators if payments are
expected to be late. Coordinators
should ensure that cardholders are transferred to the cor-
rect reporting office when changing locations. This also
applies to coordinators when they change locations.
In the coming months, cardholders with Internet access
will be able to view and pay their travel card accounts on-
line. This should eliminate delayed payments due from
overseas cardholders. Also, new computer programs will
be installed to help coordinators process requests. There
will likely be more oversight by the General Services
Administration, Office of Management and Budget and
the Congress. ■
The author works in the Office of Financial Oversight and
Coordination in the Bureau of Resource Management.
Contents
 Area Students
Shadow Employees
E
mployees gave kids from area elementary and high
schools an opportunity to see what they do through
the Groundhog Job Shadow Day program.
On Jan. 31, the Department joined with more than
100,000 businesses and organizations such as Marriott,
Home Depot, Wal-Mart and NBC to provide young peo-
ple with career awareness and mentoring opportunities.
The youngsters got a close look at the workplace and
how to apply skills learned at school.
Although the 80 youngsters the State Department host-
ed may not have seen their shadow in commemorating
the mid-winter groundhog myth, they did become shad-

Photos by Franklin Jones

ows for a variety of people and positions, including
Secretary Colin L. Powell.
“This is our third year in the program,” Mary
Pensabene, a public affairs specialist who manages the
Department’s shadowing program, said. “It’s a full day.”
The region was well represented by elementary, mid-
dle and high school students from the District, Maryland Department spokesman Richard Boucher, right, was mentor-of-the-day
and Virginia’s Fairfax, Fauquier, Rappahannock and for Evan Bustria, who attends the Wakefield School in The Plains, in
Culpeper counties, she added. Northern Virginia.
About 50 pupils from Northeast Washington’s Miner
Elementary School were among those invited. In addition that. Examine it. Fix yourself. Prove yourself. And then roll
to a Department tour, they saw a demonstration by dogs up that failure in a little ball, throw it over your shoulder
trained to sniff out drugs and and never think about it again.” —Paul Koscak
explosives.
“We brought out the entire fifth-
grade class,” said John Arbogast,
an attorney with the United
Nations Affairs Office who over-
sees a tutoring program at Miner
where employees work one-on-
one with the elementary pupils
throughout the year.
Secretary Powell, who men-
tored a student from Booker T.
Washington High School, met the
group at the end of their day and
pitched the virtues of hard work,
self-discipline, commitment and
even failure.
“The simple solution that I’ve
found to deal with something
going wrong, a failure, is to find
out what you did wrong,” he told Alessandra Carozza, a senior at the District’s School Without Walls, was one of 160 students who shad-
the students. “And then learn from owed Department employees.

Contents March 2003 17

 Kabul Hosts
U.S.-Afghan

Senior Coordinator for International Women’s Issues April Palmerlee

with Afghan children.

Council on Women
18 State Magazine
 Meeting of the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council, Kabul, Afghanistan.

Story and Photos by Daria M. Fane young women working in various ministries came to the
United States for one month of training in computer

W
e heard the stories. We knew about the harsh skills, grant writing and leadership.
Taliban decrees against women. I was deeply The council’s second meeting was held in early
moved by the hardships these women faced January in Kabul. State’s Paula Dobriansky, co-chair-
and wished there were something I could do woman of the council, led a delegation of 10 Americans,
to help. I was eager to get to Afghanistan but including Presidential Advisor Karen Hughes and other
our embassy in Kabul was still closed. government and nongovernment representatives.
Then came Sept. 11. The events that followed cata- I went to Kabul in advance of the delegation to make
pulted Afghanistan onto the front page of the news. logistical arrangements. The last time I saw Kabul was in
With swift military action by a U.S.-led coalition, the 1976, a time of relative calm when no one envisioned the
Taliban soon fell. A new era was dawning for 23 years of warfare and civil strife that lay ahead. Though
Afghanistan. It was clear that things would change, but the bazaar in the center of town is now bustling with
we were faced with the question of how best to help stores and restaurants that sprang up like wildflowers
Afghanistan’s women. after the fall of the Taliban, western Kabul is destroyed,
Hamid Karzai visited Washington last January. In a with only an occasional family camped out among the
joint public announcement with President Bush, the rubble, living in windowless rooms, with little protection
heads of state launched the U.S.-Afghan Women’s from the elements.
Council to ensure that Afghan women receive the train- Though some women feel free to wear head scarves, the
ing and education majority still don the
they were denied head-to-toe chadri or
under the Taliban. The author, right, burqa when on the
The council received with Deputy Minister streets. The eerie sil-
funding from Con- of Women's Affairs houette of their
Tajwar Kakar at the
gress and the legal official’s home. chadris billowing in
mandate to promote the wind as women
partnerships between walk is one of Afghan-
U.S. and Afghan insti- istan’s most typical,
tutions and mobilized haunting scenes. Why
private resources to do they still wear their
support these goals. chadris? Some of their
The council held its answers surprised me.
first meeting in Wash- “If I didn’t wear the
ington last April. Its chadri, people would
first major goal was to think I am commu-
train women working nist,” said a woman
in the new Afghan working as a security
government, and last guard at the ministry
September a group of of education. “This is

March 2003 19

Young women learn to crochet at the Women’s Resource Center,
above, and to read, right.
part of my religion, I will always wear it and no one can
make me stop,” said another. Others spoke of security
concerns.
The Afghan delegation to the Kabul meeting included
10 women of ministerial rank and two deputy ministers,
as well as a range of nongovernment representatives,
including those working outside government, in U.N.
agencies, humanitarian activities and the private sector.
The key topics discussed included education, political
participation of women, human rights, the new constitu-
tion, economic development and small-business oppor-
tunities for women.
One of the key priorities of the Afghan Ministry of
Women’s Affairs is its plan to create a network of
women’s development centers operating in each of
Afghanistan’s 32 provinces. A signing ceremony took
place at the end of the meeting, where the U.S. Agency
Many women still wear chadris when out in the street.
20 State Magazine
for International Development committed $2.5 million
for the construction of women’s centers in 14 provinces.
In addition, the council announced its plans to issue $1
million in grants to support educational programs at the
centers. The council will provide money for programs
supporting literacy, human rights, political participation,
small-business development and managing nongovern-
ment organizations. The council will fund projects by
Afghan organizations and their U.S. nongovernment
partners, with priority given to programs that reach
beyond the provincial capitals to train women in rural
and remote areas who would not otherwise have access
to such training.
Besides the formal meetings, the U.S. delega-
tion also visited a number of sites, including a
women’s resource center run by the Ministry of
Women’s Affairs. We saw classes in sewing,
embroidery and literacy. It was impressive how
eager these women were to learn and how good
they felt about being able to read. Four months
before they had been illiterate. Now they can
read simple texts and they talked about their
dreams of being teachers, writers and doctors.
Education is the key to development in
Afghanistan and its prospects now are better
than they have been for a quarter of a century.
Our visit to Afghanistan renewed our faith in
the resilience of the human spirit, demonstrat-
ing the determination and courage of Afghans
and especially Afghan women. ■
The author works in the Office of Women’s Issues.
Contents
 A View from
the Hill as a
Congressional Fellow
Story by Jonita Whitaker
Photos by Dave Krecke
H
aving spent the last nine years of my Foreign
Service career at a series of African posts, I
was hesitant about working in Washington
as a Congressional Fellow. After a while, I
adjusted to taking the Metro, driving on
interstate highways, choosing from hun-
dreds of new products at the supermarket and observing
congressional debates in person.
When I received my assignment as a Pearson Fellow,
finding a congressional office to work in was my job. So I
contacted Rep. Donald M. Payne (D-N.J.), who had visit-
ed my post in Bamako, Mali, in 1997 as the ranking mem-
Pearson Fellows gather
at U.N. Headquarters.
ber of the Subcommittee on Africa. I looked forward to
working with someone with an abiding interest in Africa
and was delighted when the congressman agreed to have
me join his staff for my fellowship year.
Previous fellows advised me that this job would be
unlike any I had ever held. They were right. The job is
largely what you make of it, a combination of your own
experience and the interests of the member of Congress.
As a foreign affairs adviser, most of my work has focused
on what I call the “I” countries: Iraq, Iran, Ireland, India,
Israel and Indonesia.
I have found researching the Iraq issue stimulating. I
review news from the New York Times, the Washington
Post, CNN and other sources and summarize the infor-
mation in abstracts I share with other members of the
Iraq working group. As a member of the group, I’ve
Photo courtesy of Humpty Dumpty International
March 2003 21

Congressman Payne and author discuss draft legislation for a bill he is sponsoring to
eradicate polio.
learned a lot from attending debates in closed sessions
that sometimes last into the early hours of the morning.
Some days, I attend meetings featuring people like
Scott Ritter, Jessica Matthews, Jonathan Tucker, Richard
Perle and leaders of the Iraqi National Congress. I was
fortunate to be with Congressman Payne during a hear-
ing of the House International Relations Committee,
where Secretary Powell testified. I listened with pride as
committee members posed questions to the Secretary. I
was impressed by the transparency of the process and by
Chairman Henry Hyde’s skillful management of the dis-
cussion with so many divergent opinions. It was a great
opportunity to witness history in the making.
My day typically starts with compiling a news briefing
on Africa. I attend briefings, host office visitors or pre-
pare letters of commendation for the many groups that
count Rep. Payne an ally. Luncheons are frequent and
often feature fascinating people. For example, author
Ivan Hall, who wrote “How America Lost the Intellectual
Game with Japan and Its Implications for our Future in
Asia,” spoke recently.
I draft letters for the congressman’s approval, responding
to constituents from northern New Jersey who are express-
ing their views on foreign affairs issues. Work sometimes
involves attending off-site meetings or conferences, such as
22 State Magazine
a recent seminar called, “Is There a Crisis in U.S.
Foreign Relations?” at George Washington
University’s Elliot School of International
Affairs. Staff from other U.S. government agen-
cies often brief on the Ivory Coast, Angola, the
Southern African food crisis or women’s issues,
which rounds out my busy day.
Some days are spent writing speeches on
peacekeeping, Iraq and debt relief for Africa.
Others end with receptions hosted by industry
groups. Conferences and seminars offer insight
into a wide variety of topics. The only limitation
is time and energy, so you have to be selective.
One of my favorite roles as a Pearson Fellow is
representing the Foreign Service on the Hill. I’m
always proud to introduce myself as a Foreign
Service officer and share my experiences with
congressional staffers. I enjoy inviting them to
events hosted by the Department and to ambas-
sadorial swearing-ins in the Benjamin Franklin
Room. I see these as recruiting opportunities and
have even arranged for a panel of Foreign
Service officers to hold a career session for Hill
staff. During the recent Congressional Black
Caucus conference, I joined other Foreign
Service colleagues at a Department of State
booth to show participants the face of America.
Although I’m midway through my tour, it’s
already clear that this experience has enriched
my perspective as a Foreign Service officer.
And things sure look different from the Hill! ■
The author is a Pearson Fellow serving on Capitol Hill in the
office of Congressman Donald M. Payne from New Jersey’s
10th district.
The author outside her office at the Rayburn Office Building.
Contents
 Mother Channels
Anger Into
International Action
By Paul Koscak

W
ith help from the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, a
Potomac, Md., schoolteacher has stirred the
conscience of a nation after losing her son in
a Turkish traffic accident.
Aron Sobel, 25, died—along with 30 others—
when the bus he was riding in went out of control
and careened down an embankment near
Bodrum, a Turkish beach resort.
Photo courtesy of the embassy

The 1995 tragedy energized his mother,

Rochelle Sobel, with whom he spoke the night
before the crash, to cajole Turkish officials and cit-
izens into improving their traffic system and
roads.
Mrs. Sobel was furious at the bus driver, the
bus company and the Turkish government for its
indifference to traffic safety. She picketed the
U.S. Ambassador Robert Pearson hosted a reception at his residence for Mrs. Sobel
Turkish embassy and considered suing. and Rotarians involved in “Safe Communities.” From left, District Governor Omer
Marc Grossman, State’s under secretary for Tezcan, member of Parliament Ahmet Tan, Mrs. Rochelle Sobel, Ambassador
Political Affairs, encouraged Mrs. Sobel to form Pearson and local Rotary Club President Iskender Coygun.

March 2003 23
 and military affairs in the Bureau of
European and Eurasian Affairs.
“Virtually everyone knows someone who
has been killed in an automobile crash.
The issue has great public resonance.”
While getting a driver’s license is actu-
ally tougher in Turkey than in the United
States, the country is sorely lacking in
roads, traffic lights and signs. Further-
more, Mr. Jones said, civil war in south-
east Turkey has diverted law enforcement
away from traffic duties. “People have
become impatient and they drive with
impunity,” he added.
Through a grant, the embassy in
Ankara brought Mary Russell, a commu-
nity organizer from Palm Beach, Fla., to
Turkey to spend 10 days rallying the sup-
port of citizens, public officials and com-
Photos courtesy of the U.S. embassy, Ankara

munity groups. In response, Turkey’s

Rotary Club made traffic safety one of
their highest priorities
When Mrs. Sobel visited Ankara in
May 2002, the country’s largest newspa-
per ran a full-page profile of her efforts
and she attended an embassy ceremony
honoring her son.
Last month, the now veteran organiz-
er traveled to Nairobi to take her organ-
ization and traffic safety message to
U.S. Ambassador Robert Pearson delivers remarks at a ceremony honoring Aron Sobel. Aron’s more than 700 Rotarians in that African
mother, Rochelle Sobel, looks on. nation. ■

an international traffic safety organi-

zation to find closure and change a
nation’s driving habits as well.
In the spring of 2001 she formed the
Association for Safe International Road
Travel and took her cause directly to
Turkey, her first visit ever to the country.
Paving the way, the U.S. Embassy put
Mrs. Sobel in touch with Turkish traffic
officials, politicians and journalists.
The Turkish media rallied behind
her and the U.S. Embassy introduced
her to the leaders of Turkey’s 25,000-
member Rotary International who also
embraced her cause. In February 2002,
she and Turkey’s Rotary district gover-
nor barnstormed the country for three
days, bringing their message of traffic
safety to police, educators, traffic plan-
ners, insurance companies and auto-
mobile manufacturers.
“Turks have long known that their
roads are unsafe,” said Stu Jones,
deputy director of regional, political Mrs. Rochelle Sobel delivers remarks honoring her son, Aron, at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara.

24 State Magazine
 Department Alerts
Travelers to Potential
Driving Hazards
By Tom Sandusky
Vehicle accidents are among the most difficult cas-
es consular officers handle. Since accidents can hap-
pen to U.S. citizens at any time and frequently in
remote areas, they require immediate action, espe-
cially when there’s a death or serious injury. It’s con-
sular officers who visit hospitalized Americans, or,
worse, call families about the death of loved ones.
The State Department helps protect U.S. citizens
driving overseas by flagging hazardous conditions.
Since 1998, thanks to Rochelle Sobel and the Asso-
ciation for Safe International Road Travel, based in
Maryland, driving conditions have been part of the
Bureau of Consular Affairs’ Consular Information
Program.
Road conditions, public transportation and avail-
ability of roadside assistance are included in the
consular information sheets prepared for every
country in the world. The sheets highlight haz-
ardous local conditions and may contain warnings
of dangerous local driving habits, information on
road rules that differ from those in the United States
and tips on obtaining international and foreign
driving permits.
This information is available on the bureau’s web
site at travel.state.gov. There are links to the associa-
tion’s web site as well as to other government and
international organizations concerned with road
safety.
Congress requires the Department to list U.S. citi-
zens killed in overseas traffic accidents and of other
non-natural causes. The first report was posted Dec.
30, 2002, and it will be updated every six months.
Because most U.S. citizens who die abroad are res-
idents of the host country, it doesn’t occur to their
families to inform the nearest U.S. Embassy or
Consulate. Also, the report doesn’t include deaths of
U.S. military or government officials. For these rea-
sons, the report can’t be considered a complete
account of U.S. deaths in foreign countries.
What it shows, however, is this: From Oct. 1 to Dec.
31, 2002, 5.5 percent or 62 of the 1,130 Americans who
died abroad were killed in traffic accidents. But when
compared to the 246 Americans who died overseas
from other non-natural causes, traffic deaths jump to
25.2 percent. Also during this time, 31 Americans
abroad were murdered, 20 drowned, nine were killed
in aviation accidents and eight died from terrorist
actions.
The author is the European division chief, American
Citizens Services and Crisis Management in the Bureau
of Consular Affairs.
Contents March 2003 25
 Observing
By Scott Warren
History in Kenya
F
or only the third time since independence in 1963,
Kenyans went to the polls Dec. 27, 2002, to elect a
president, parliamentary representatives and local
leaders.
Since independence, only two presidents have gov-
erned Kenya: Jomo Kenyatta and, for the past 24 years,
Daniel arap Moi. Both represented the Kenyan African
National Union party. Discontented with pervasive cor-
ruption and minimal economic growth, Kenyans over-
whelmingly elected Mwai Kibaki of the opposition
National Rainbow Coalition over Mr. Moi’s designated
heir, Uhuru Kenyatta, the son of Mr. Kenyatta.
Several international organizations, including the
Commonwealth, European Union, Carter Center and
U.S. Embassy, were accredited through the Kenyan gov-
ernment to observe the elections. About 100 embassy
Voters lining up to vote at
a polling station, normally
the town hall.
26 State Magazine
employees participated, including Foreign Service offi-
cers, family members and Foreign Service National
employees.
We were divided into groups of four or five and
observed in different constituencies or regions through-
out the country. There were also several thousand
Kenyan observers representing various nongovernment
organizations. By being present, the observers were able
to show their interest in fair and free elections and to
report their findings to the international community.
I participated, along with my dad and three FSNs, in
rural Rongai constituency in the Great Rift Valley about
three hours north of Nairobi. We arrived at our first
polling station a little after six in the morning. A line of
about 20 people anxiously waited to cast their votes. We
entered the social hall where the voting was to be con-
ducted. The room held about 20 people, including six
clerks, a presiding officer, agents from the various politi-
Photo courtesy of the author

cal parties and observers. A small kerosene lamp in the
middle of the room was the only light as the presiding
officer, a clergyman, attempted to make final prepara-
tions. Finally, at about 6:50 a.m., the first person voted.
Throughout the day, we visited eight polling sites
located throughout the constituency. Almost all were
located in small, primary school rooms, many with bro-
ken windows, dirt floors and no desks. Ironically, one of
Kibaki’s chief campaign promises was to provide free
primary school education, a luxury unavailable in
Kenya today. In all the sites, a table seating six clerks
was located close to the entrance. All the clerks had dif-
ferent roles, ranging from making sure the voter was
registered and stamping and handing out ballots to dip-
ping the voter’s finger in indelible ink to prevent multi-
ple voting.
The actual voting process was fairly simple. The voter
would register by showing a valid ID and voter registra-
tion card before receiving three ballots: the presidential
ballot, the parliamentary ballot and the civic ballot for a
local position. The voter would then proceed to a
makeshift voting booth to ensure secrecy. Voters put an
“X“ by the candidate of their choice and then placed the
vote in one of the designated ballot boxes. Many of the
people who voted, however, were illiterate. For these
people, two options were available. They were entitled to
have a close friend or relative vote for them or have the
presiding officer read out the names of the candidates
and mark that person’s choice.
Clerk dips voter’s finger
in indelible ink to prevent
multiple voting.
Photo courtesy of the author
The stations closed at six at night to count the ballots.
The votes were counted one by one, with agents from the
major political parties looking on. It took about one hour
to count a box of 600 votes.
There were some isolated incidents of voters being
threatened or bribed to vote for certain candidates and at
several stations voters not on registration rolls could not
vote. Overall, the election went smoothly. Westerners
take fair and democratic elections for granted and it was
remarkable to see how much Kenyans tried to make their
elections as fair as possible.
After two long days of counting, the electoral commis-
sion of Kenya finally announced a winner: Mwai Kibaki.
The announcement left Kenya in jubilation, with people on
the streets giving the victory sign and smiling whenever
they passed. “It’s the best Christmas present we’ve gotten
in a long time,” said one Kenyan. Mr. Kibaki’s inaugura-
tion was held in Nairobi’s Uhuru Park (Uhuru means free-
dom in Swahili) and attended by some 250,000 people. The
streets were empty and everybody not attending the cere-
mony gathered around televisions and radios.
The occasion marked one of the few times in post-
colonial Africa that a ruling party has democratically
handed over power to the opposition. The coming years
will tell if Kenya really will change for the better, but I feel
privileged to have been part of such a historic election. ■
The author is a sophomore at the International School of
Kenya and the son of Glenn Warren, political officer.
Contents March 2003 27

Bali Duty
Reminds Consular
Officer of Bosnia
By Tom Daniels
T wenty days in Bali changed my life. I am now con-
nected to the families, the victims and to Bali forever.
Shortly after midnight on Sunday, Oct. 13, I learned of the
horrific bombing at a Bali nightclub that killed 183 people
and injured 326 others. More would die from their
injuries during the next few days. Among the dead
would be seven Americans.
Monday, I left for Bali on the first flight out of
Surabaya, accompanied by a dedicated Foreign Service
28 State Magazine
Photo by Sarah Motil
Special agent James Minor examines
bombing scene inside Paddy’s Bar.
National consular assistant who was just as wet behind
the ears as I was. I packed a small bag expecting a four-
or five-day trip. It turned into three weeks.
We checked into the hotel, rented a car and drove
straight to the consular agency where I began organizing
the search for missing Americans.
Tuesday morning I issued the first death report for a
young American woman who was a Bali resident. It was
the first of my career and I never expected I would be
doing this just six weeks out of consular training.
That afternoon, I visited the morgue at the Sanglah
hospital. I was suddenly struck by the bomb-
ing’s destruction. There were no cold-storage
containers. Most of the dead were lined up in
body bags on the grass and on the sidewalk
behind the morgue. It was impossible to
count them all. Body fluids drained out of all
the bags as they languished in the tropical
sun. The stench was pervasive. Inside the
morgue, bodies were in various conditions—
from those who were incinerated to those
who died from injuries but were not badly
burned. Although, as a soldier, I had seen
bodies in the “zone of separation” in Bosnia,
nothing had prepared me for this.
With passports and photos in hand, I
began the search for more American dead.
By the end of the first week we had identi-
fied another American victim. I had spent
dozens of hours looking for her, identifying
the body, processing her release from the Victim identification team from the Australian Federal Police work at the Bali bombng scene.
morgue and staying with her father while she
was cremated. I grew very close to him in those few days
as I watched the pain of a grieving father. The week also
brought me close to five other families. I grew to know and
love them. Nearly every day I talked to one or more of
them to get more information that would help identify
their loved ones who were presumed dead. Did they have
any tattoos, piercings, jewelry or other identifiers? Finally, carnage. In reality, I was working so hard that by the time I
dental records began to arrive.
Thursday, the first of the Australian odontologists
arrived. I developed a close working relationship with
the Australian dentists and police officers. Because I
spoke Indonesian, I helped them procure depleted
supplies on the local economy. In exchange for my per-
sonal time and expense, I gained unimpeded access to
their labs, offices and information. Throughout the
Balinese visit the memorial to the victims near bombed-out Paddy’s Bar.
Photos by James Minor
next two weeks I spent countless hours with the
Australian team as we identified the five remaining
American casualties.
During my second week in Bali, State Department psy-
chiatrists began calling me regularly. I guess they were con-
cerned about my being surrounded by so much blood and
retired each night I was too tired to dream. Psychosis
would have to wait. There were more pressing matters.
My last three days in Bali were spent supporting the visit
of the ambassador, the counselor for public affairs and my
consul general, who came to Bali to participate in several cer-
emonies. We placed a wreath at the bombing site and held a
town hall meeting for the Americans in Bali. And while the
ambassador visited Balinese government officials, I stayed at
the morgue to identify one more American vic-
tim. She was officially released from the morgue
on Saturday, 20 days after I arrived in Bali. On
Nov. 2, I flew back to Surabaya. Visa interviews
began again on Monday, Nov. 4, and life in a
drawn-down post continued.
Despite the long hours and the sense of vul-
nerability to terrorism, this is why I joined the
Foreign Service—to make a difference. As an
attorney, I could be filing divorces and bank-
ruptcies, but not everyone can really make a
difference in the world without being willing to
sacrifice.
Those 20 days in Bali were as formative to
me as the year I spent in Bosnia with the
Army. But, in Bosnia, I was just another ser-
geant. In Bali, I was the U.S. diplomat on the
scene. I was the person to whom the desperate
turned for help. ■
The author is a vice consul in the U.S. Consulate
General in Surabaya, Indonesia.
Contents March 2003 29
 Celebrating the Future
Many things, having full reference
To one consent, may work contrariously;
As many arrows, loosed several ways,
Fly to one mark; as many ways meet in one town;
As many fresh streams meet in one salt sea;
As many lines close in the dial’s center;
So may a thousand actions, once afoot,
End in one purpose, and be all well borne
Without defeat.
—William Shakespeare,
King Henry V, I, ii, 205
Entry-level participants listen to the ambassador’s opening remarks.
30 State Magazine
By Joseph A. Parente
T
he bard, of course, was a no-show. But his words
spoke to the gathering last October in London
organized by entry-level generalists and special-
ists from the U.S. Embassy in London. More than
150 participants from 53 Bureau of European and
Eurasian Affairs posts in 42 countries and senior-
level officials from Washington convened in the
city on the Thames to promote the future of the
Foreign Service.
It was evident from the breadth and scope of senior
officials who participated in the conference, beginning
with Secretary Powell, that entry-level employees and
their concerns are important to Department manage-
ment. In post-conference questionnaires, participants
Photos courtesy of the U.S. Embassy in London
of the Foreign Service
said they appreciated the commitment of Ruth A. Davis, director general of the
senior officials. One respondent wrote, “I Foreign Service and director of Human
would have flown to London just to hear Resources, greets the conference
participants.
Secretary Powell speak for 30 minutes.”
Another said, “Biggest win was the per-
sonal contact with the senior levels of the
Department. I had no idea our top State
leaders were so dynamic, smart and
approachable.”
Conference participants had the oppor-
tunity to assemble at one of the largest
embassies in the world to learn from sen-
ior managers and to exchange ideas and
share experiences with colleagues from
other posts. Rather than reinvent the
wheel, participants learned how their col-
leagues had solved problems facing them.

One respondent found the exchange particularly helpful

in consular work because so much had changed over the
last year.
The London meeting sought to move beyond the tradi-
tional junior officer conference to embrace the wide spec-
trum of people who comprise today’s Foreign Service.
There were generalists from all five cones as well as a
large number of specialists. London organizers experi-
enced in hosting junior officer conferences found the
dynamics of the entry-level event more complex. The
majority of responses suggested the conference was suc-
cessful. Equally important, however, were a number of
thoughtful specific comments that will aid organizers of
the next entry-level conference.
The success of the specialist-generalist fusion at the
London conference varied greatly. Several participants
suggested the gathering was “heavily geared toward jun-
ior officers.” Clearly, the transition to an all-inclusive con-
ference was not without some snares. At least as many
respondents, however, applauded the organizers for
including generalists and specialists. A Foreign Service
officer who had worked as a specialist and Civil Service
employee was delighted to have had a private meeting
with the director general. Most specialists agreed that the
Ambassador Farish Department had come a long way by including special-
opens the conference. ists in the conference but that more balance was needed
in the future.

March 2003 31

Attendees mingle during a break in the conference.
No conference about the future of the Foreign Service
would be complete without suggestions from partici-
pants as to its future. Several themes emerged. Family
matters were high on the list of priorities for improving
the Foreign Service, especially employment for family
members. “My wife desperately wants to work and can’t
because of where we live and the limited jobs at post,” a
respondent said.
Comments about abolishing the conal system strongly
resonated with the participants. “If we’re all supposed to
be generalists, then let’s put our money (or our system)
where our rhetoric is,” said one participant. Another hot
topic was the tenuring and promotion system. Said one
attendee: “It was clear from the discussions at the confer-
ence that many of us are still disillusioned with the not-
so-transparent tenure and promotion policies.”
Nomenclature also matters. As one participant wrote,
“The feeling that specialists have of being snubbed by the
Department and by generalists will never go away with-
out some real work being done. A person’s work should
never be called substantive or nonsubstantive!”
Office management specialists asked for more promo-
tion opportunities within their ranks and in professional
jobs elsewhere in the Foreign Service. Consular associates
also had questions about what role they would play after
recently announced changes in consular processing.
The general sense from the conference was that man-
agement is definitely on the right track and is taking
employees’ concerns seriously, but there is still a long
way to go. ■
The author is a vice consul at the U.S. Embassy in London.
32 State Magazine
Conference Offers
Tips For New Officers
By Matthew Austin
J unior diplomats from 22 posts came to Seoul, Korea, to
give their careers a push.
For newcomers, the 2002 East Asia Pacific conference
last October was a unique opportunity to learn from the
Department’s top management how to cultivate a career
and avoid pitfalls.
A video link during the fall conference gave the new
officers a two-way channel to directly question State’s
senior leadership and learn about their vision for the
Foreign Service.
Conference speakers talked specifics.
Competing on promotion boards and how to bid for
jobs prompted lively discussions. In both cases, speakers
emphasized presenting the “whole person” package, not
just accomplishments within one’s career.
Learning the language and culture of an assigned
region, according to Michael Lemmon, dean of the School
of Language Studies at the Foreign Service Institute, is
vital to being an effective officer. He urged the posts to
improve their language programs.
On the other hand, security violations are certain
career killers, according to another speaker.
Russell Ross, a diplomatic security officer, briefed the
participants on the region’s dangers, including gangs in
Fiji and al Qaeda cells in Indonesia.
Korean diplomat Kim Won Su briefed the officers on
how Americans can better understand Asian sentiments
toward U.S. policy in the region. The officers also visited
the demilitarized zone. ■
The author is a vice consul in the U.S. Embassy in Seoul.
Junior officers
get a dose of
reality at South
Korea’s demil-
itarized zone.
Contents
 O U R
Chapel Hill Area Attracts Retirees
In 1980, Betty and Ron Sher retired, temporarily, to
southwestern Minnesota.
After a couple of rough winters, they began search-
ing for a permanent retirement spot. Browsing
through New Yorker magazine, they saw an ad for a
retirement community near Chapel Hill, N.C., and
decided to check it out. They did, several times in fact,
before moving there permanently in the late ‘80s.
The entrance to Fearrington Village, eight miles
south of Chapel Hill, is a pastoral setting of English
and French themes. Cows graze in a nearby pasture
and flower beds, shrubbery and trees abound. The
planned community of townhouses and single fami-
ly homes is now home to some 1,500 residents of all
ages from across the United States and a dozen other
countries.
Photo courtesy of Betty Sher
Betty Sher, left, and friends Bart and Calista Moon, Ed Williams, Barbara Wilson, Joanne and Michael Cotter, Caroline and Michael Hornblow.
T O W N
While it’s not a golfing community, there is a golf
association with access to some 200 in-state courses.
There are swimming and tennis, boating and picnick-
ing. The village center has several specialty shops, an
inn, a restaurant and a gourmet market café. The book-
store hosts frequent readings by well-known authors.
There are volunteer activities and opportunities to
continue learning and enjoying cultural events at the
University of North Carolina and Duke University.
Both have medical facilities within easy reach of the
village. The seasons are moderate, the cost of living
reasonable and real estate taxes low. What’s more
important, the state does not tax pensions.
Ron, who retired from USIA, is now deceased. Betty,
a former State employee, continues to find their retire-
ment choice ideal.
Contents March 2003 33
Medical Report
Your Medical
By Kumiko Cross
Clearance
I
t’s early in the year, but now is the time for Foreign
Service families to think about preparing for their
onward assignments. Obtaining a medical clearance is
essential. Valid for two years or until the end of a tour,
a medical clearance is required of everyone in the Office
of Medical Services program who will reside overseas.
You do not need your orders to begin this process.
You have a choice of the traditional full physical
exam or a streamlined approach that includes health
maintenance specific for your age and personal health
history. You and your health care provider will review
your health to determine whether there are any con-
cerns that might require further tests or treatment.
Recommendations for additional tests may be made
after discussions at post or after Medical Clearances
reviews your file.
This streamlined medical clearance is available to all
employees and eligible family members in all agencies
regardless of age or previous medical clearance. The form
may be used for any in-service clearance exam—except
for pre-employment—for a new eligible family member
or for separation.
Employees and eligible family members who choose to
use the medical clearance update form may still want
additional studies later to maintain their health. MED
will continue to pay for these evaluations, from the med-
ical clearance update form to home leave. Once home
leave is complete and families are medically cleared and
have returned to post, funding ceases.
Routine testing might include any examination or
diagnostic testing normally done as part of the tradition-
al complete history and physical exam, such as a Pap
smear, mammogram, prostate screen, colon screen and
other age-related routine tests. The post will authorize
the examinations or tests.
This is a newly created position to help individuals
who have almost completed their exams or updates in
34 State Magazine
one location and wish to complete their clearance exam
in Washington. Your post health unit, Foreign Service
health practitioner or regional medical officer can help
prepare a cable requesting an appointment with a health
promotion clinician. Those needing additional clinical
procedures in Washington should bring all their docu-
ments including summaries of care and the health main-
tenance sheet received at post. The health promotion cli-
nician will help you complete your exam or medical
clearance form.
Employees need an updated medical clearance before
beginning long-term language training. When assigned
to language training, employees should update their
medical clearances immediately after being officially
notified of the assignment.
There are 10 ways to expedite your medical clearance:
■ Contact your health care provider at post six months
before departing to discuss your clearance exam.
■ Sign and date the form.
■ Give good contact information so, if necessary, you
can be contacted.
■ Attach any medical reports about conditions that
require follow-up or for which you have been issued
a Class 2 clearance.
■ Have the examiner complete all the laboratory work
required.
■ Have the examiner attach all the laboratory results to
the form.
■ Keep a copy of your completed exam and give it to
the health unit at your new post.
■ Ensure that a copy of your completed exam is mailed
in to the address on the form.
■ Check with Medical Clearances to ensure that you
are medically cleared for your onward overseas
assignment.
■ Use the opportunity to discuss your health mainte-
nance with your provider.
All employees and their eligible family members must
have an updated medical clearance before arriving at
their next post. Those currently serving in the United
States who are seeking an overseas assignment should
note that travel orders can not be issued unless the
employee and all family members who will accompany
the employee have current medical clearances.
The Department may withhold medical benefits from
employees or their families who proceed to a foreign
posting without proper medical clearances. Clearances
can be confirmed by contacting Medical Clearances by e-
mail, MED Clearances Washington on the Department’s
global directory, or medclearances@state.gov. ■
The author is chief of Medical Clearances in the Office of
Medical Services.

DNA
Repository Program
M
ED began the DNA
Repository Program in
January 2002 for the pur-
pose of collecting and pre-
serving blood samples from mission
employees. This is a voluntary pro-
gram. The blood sample could be
used for DNA analysis to identify
human remains. The opportunity to
have a sample of blood preserved
for this purpose is offered to people
coming to the exam clinic in MED
for clearance physicals. Elsewhere,
regional medical technologists col-
lect blood samples at their home
posts and train health unit staff on
the collection process at their
regional posts. Everyone is asked to
either accept or decline the offer.
Those who decline can choose to
donate a sample the next time the
offer is available. Bloodstain cards
will be kept for 50 years unless the
donor requests that the card be
destroyed.
Accurate information is vital since
these cards are used for identifica-
tion purposes. Social security num-
bers of all eligible family members
are needed on the bloodstain card. If
you want a blood sample to be col-
lected from your child, please bring
your child’s SSN. Please go to
MED’s web site, http://med.state.
gov, for more information on the Stephen Buck observes as Madeleine Richardson, medical technologist, spots his blood on
DNA Repository Program. the filter paper to be preserved for DNA analysis.

Contents March 2003 35

Kelli Davis leads the
Princess Club in an activity.
People Like You
Enriching the
Lives of Children
“When you volunteer, you discover talents you never
knew you had,” says Kelli Davis, a secretary in the
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
She joined the booster club at her children’s elementary
school four years ago, and one of the club’s officers asked
if she would handle fund raising and
planning for the chorus’s trip to Italy.
It was unlike anything she had ever
done, but she gave it a try.
Since then, she has organized count-
less silent auctions, school fairs, cook-
ie, doughnut and candy sales and
planned successful trips of more than
100 parents and children to Italy,
France and Spain. Ms. Davis is now
president of the school’s Parent
Teacher Association and investing
time and effort in other worthy proj-
ects at school and church.
“It’s gratifying to see what happens
to kids on these trips,” she says.
“Many have never traveled very far Ms. Davis pauses in the
beyond their own neighborhoods. Department’s cafeteria.
36 State Magazine
Photo courtesy of Kelli Davis
When they go abroad, a whole new world opens up to
them and they’re changed for life.”
Every Sunday evening, you can find Kelli Davis at the
Woodlawn Baptist Church in Bowie, Md., leading the
Princess Club. The club encourages girls ages 5 to 11 to
gather back at church for arts, crafts and activities that
build their self-confidence. Inspired by the theme of each
session—snow or Valentine’s Day, for example—they
fashion artful gifts for their family members. The pro-
gram has been so successful with the church’s girl mem-
bers that a group of men in the church has established a
similar group for young boys.
Ms. Davis’s older daughter, a
Princess Club graduate, is now a bus
captain, giving back to the church
what she gained from participating in
the club. She rides on one of the
church’s 11 school buses, monitoring
younger passengers as the bus travels
from Laurel to the District line picking
up parishioners who need transporta-
tion to attend church.
Photo by Dave Krecke
“Volunteering and being active are
contagious,” Ms. Davis says. “I enjoy
the company of the core group of peo-
ple who work with me on these proj-
ects, especially those committed to
enriching the lives of children.”
—Dave Krecke
Contents
Core Precepts Guide
Performance Process
By Dan Spikes
T o the outsider, the procedures governing Foreign
Service promotion and tenure may seem mysterious.
Even those intimately involved in the process agree that
the system of performance eval-
uation for State Department
Foreign Service employees is
complicated. It involves a num-
ber of selection boards that make
recommendations on tenure,
promotion, low ranking and
other decisions that affect not
only employees as individuals
but also the Foreign Service as
an institution.
Although the criteria for
tenure, promotion and lowrank-
ing are different, they do share
one common element: the deci-
sion criteria for tenure and pro-
motion in the Foreign Service,
commonly known as the core
precepts, that guide these differ-
ent boards in their work.
As the 2002–2003 rating cycle
draws to a close and reports are
being prepared for the Office of
Performance Evaluation, rating
and reviewing officers should review the core precepts
before they begin writing their sections of the employee
evaluation report—or EER. The core precepts are available
both on e-forms (DS-1829cp) and on the HR/PE Intranet
site, under “Regulations.”
The core precepts describe six major competencies—
leadership skills, managerial skills, interpersonal skills,
communication and foreign language skills, intellectual
skills and substantive knowledge. They are essential to a
successful Foreign Service career.
Each of the six competencies includes four to six specific
subcompetencies or skills. For example, the competency for
leadership covers problem solving and decisionmaking,
innovation, representational skills, openness to dissent and
community service and institution building.
Each skill set is arranged as a grid with a brief descrip-
tion of the level of accomplishment expected from employ-
ees of junior, middle and senior rank. The skill levels are
cumulative. Under the interpersonal skill of teamwork, for
example, junior officers should be collaborative and pro-
ductive team members; mid-level officers should be inclu-
sive and supportive team leaders and senior officers
should motivate teams under their direction and encour-
age the resolution of conflict through cooperation.
In effect, the core precepts
elaborate on the six competen-
cies that must be addressed in
the section of the employee eval-
uation report entitled “Evalu-
ation of Potential.” There is, of
course, no requirement for every
sub-competency to be men-
tioned, but board members and
other readers expect to find each
major competency addressed
through specific examples of
performance.
Recommendations for pro-
motion essentially are based on
demonstrated potential to serve
well at the next level of respon-
James Wardell/Masterfile
sibility. Recommendations for
tenure are based on demon-
strated potential to serve effec-
tively through FS-01 (for gener-
alists) or at higher levels in the
appropriate occupational cate-
gory (for specialists) over the
span of a normal career. Consequently, this section of the
EER and the core precepts that inform it are important.
Although not a requirement, the narratives in other EER
sections will benefit from being prepared with the core
precepts in mind.
The Office of Performance Evaluation prepares and
issues the core precepts on a three-year cycle. Those now
in effect for the 2002–2003, 2003–2004 and 2004–2005 rat-
ing cycles were prepared last year in consultation with
the American Foreign Service Association. They were
announced by cable and Department Notice (02 State
85291 and Department Notice of May 7, 2002). Although
it does not differ radically from the earlier version, the
current edition incorporates important changes and
introduces new sections on leadership and management
training and customer service and institution building.
As always, new material is in italics. ■
The author works in the Office of Performance Evaluation.
Contents March 2003 37
 APPOINTMENTS
U.S. Ambassador to the Republic
of Botswana. Joseph Huggins of
Washington, D.C., a career member
of the Senior Foreign Service, class
of Counselor, is the new U.S.
Ambassador to the Republic of
Botswana. Mr. Huggins was execu-
tive director of the Bureau of
African Affairs from 2000 to 2002
and deputy executive director from
1998 to 2000. He was the administrative officer at the U.S.
Embassy in Amman from 1993 to 1996. His other over-
seas assignments have included Moscow, Nairobi,
Conakry and Lomé. He has served in Washington, D.C.,
in the Bureaus of Refugee Programs, Finance
Management and Policy, and Administration. Mr.
Huggins and his wife Margot Sullivan have two children.
U.S. Ambassador to the Republic
of Paraguay. John F. Keane from
New York, a career member of the
Senior Foreign Service, is the new
U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of
Paraguay. He directed the Office of
Central American Affairs from 1998
to 2002 and was deputy chief of
mission at the U.S. Embassies in
Venezuela from 1995 to 1998 and
Guatemala from 1992 to 1995. Mr. Keane also served in
Vietnam, Peru for two tours, Argentina, Chile and Brazil.
In Washington, D.C., he was country director for Mexico
and directed assignments for political officers in the
Office of Career Development and Assignments. He was
a Peace Corps volunteer in Colombia from 1966 to 1968.
Mr. Keane and his wife Graciela have two sons.
U.S. Ambassador to the Republic
of Ecuador. Kristie A. Kenney of
Washington, D.C., a career member
of the Senior Foreign Service, class
of Minister-Counselor, is the new
U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of
Ecuador. She was senior adviser to
the assistant secretary for
International Narcotics and Law
Enforcement from 2001 to 2002 and
executive secretary of the State Department from 1998 to
2001, when she led the Department’s transition from the
Clinton to the Bush Administrations. Ms. Kenney has
served abroad in Geneva, Buenos Aires and Kingston. In
Washington, D.C., she directed the Operations Center,
served on a detail to the National Security Council staff
38 State Magazine
and as a political-military officer in the Office of NATO
Affairs. Ms. Kenney is married to William R. Brownfield,
a senior Foreign Service officer currently the U.S.
Ambassador to Chile.
U.S. Ambassador to the Republic
of Niger. Gail Dennise Mathieu of
New Jersey, a career member of the
Senior Foreign Service, class of
Counselor, is the new U.S.
Ambassador to the Republic of
Niger. She was deputy chief of mis-
sion at the U.S. Embassy in Accra
from 1999 to 2002. She served as
deputy director of the Office of West
African Affairs from 1997 to 1999 and as deputy director of
Pacific Islands Affairs from 1995 to 1997. She was the U.S.
observer to UNESCO in Paris and has held other assign-
ments in Geneva, Jeddah, Paris, Port of Spain and Santo
Domingo. She and her husband Erick have one son.
U.S. Ambassador to the Republic
of Nicaragua. Barbara C. Moore of
Maryland, a career member of the
Senior Foreign Service, class of
Minister-Counselor, is the new U.S.
Ambassador to the Republic of
Nicaragua. She was deputy chief of
mission at the U.S. Embassy in
Bogota from 1998 to 2002 and
deputy director of USIA’s Office of
Inter-American Affairs in Washington, D.C., from 1997 to
1998. She was public affairs officer at the U.S. Embassy in
Santiago from 1993 to 1997 and has served two assign-
ments in Caracas and one each in Toronto and Mexico
City. Ms. Moore and her husband Spencer have one son.
U.S. Ambassador to the Republic
of Honduras. Larry L. Palmer of
Georgia, a career member of the
Senior Foreign Service, class of
Minister-Counselor, is the new U.S.
Ambassador to the Republic of
Honduras. He was deputy chief of
mission at the U.S. Embassy in
Quito from 2001 to 2002, a member
of the Senior Seminar from 1998 to
1999 and the administrative officer at the U.S. Embassy in
Santo Domingo from 1994 to 1998. He was personnel offi-
cer in Seoul from 1991 to 1994 and a Pearson Fellow at the
University of Texas, El Paso, from 1989 to 1991. Mr.
Palmer has also served in Freetown, Montevideo,
 APPOINTMENTS

Asuncion and Santo Domingo. He was a Peace Corps
volunteer from 1971 to 1973 in Liberia and later taught
history there from 1974 to 1976 at Cuttington College. He
and his wife Lucille have one son.
U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom
of Cambodia. Charles A. Ray of
Texas, a career member of the
Senior Foreign Service, class of
Counselor, is the new U.S.
Ambassador to the Kingdom of
Cambodia. He was consul general
at the U.S. Consulate General in Ho
Chi Minh City and has served in
Freetown, Chiang Mai, Guangzhou
and Shenyang. Before joining the Department in 1982,
Mr. Ray served for 20 years in the U.S. Army, retiring
with the rank of major. He and his wife Myung Wook
have four children.
U.S. Ambassador to the Republic
of Senegal and the Republic of
Guinea-Bissau. Richard A. Roth of
Michigan, a career member of the
Senior Foreign Service, class of
Minister-Counselor, is the new U.S.
Ambassador to the Republic of
Senegal and the Republic of
Guinea-Bissau. He was a special
adviser to the assistant secretary
for African Affairs from 2001 to 2002. In the fall of 2001,
he served briefly as charge d’affaires at the U.S. Embassy
in Harare. Before that, he was principal deputy assistant
secretary for Near Eastern Affairs from 2000 to 2001. Mr.
Roth was deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in
Tel Aviv from 1996 to 2000. Earlier, he directed the Office
of Israel and Arab-Israeli Affairs. He was deputy director
of Southern African Affairs from 1990 to 1993, when the
United States was leading peace negotiations to end con-
flicts in Angola and Mozambique. He has also served in
Lisbon, Algiers, Johannesburg and Addis Ababa. He and
his wife Carol have two sons.
U.S. Ambassador to the Republic
of Panama. Linda Ellen Watt of
Florida, a career member of the
Senor Foreign Service, class of
Minister-Counselor, is the new U.S.
Ambassador to the Republic of
Panama. She was foreign policy
adviser at U.S. Southern Command
from 2001 to 2002 and attended the
Senior Seminar from 2000 to 2001.
From 1997 to 2000, she was deputy chief of mission in
Santo Domingo. Ms. Watt was deputy executive director
in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs from 1995
to 1997 and administrative officer at the U.S. Embassy in
Moscow from 1993 to 1995. She has also served in
Managua, London, San Jose, Quito and in the Bureau of
Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs. Ms. Watt and her
husband Leo A. Duncan, a retired Foreign Service infor-
mation management officer, have two children.

PERSONNEL ACTIONS
Foreign Service Retirements
Allen, James Beach Holgate, Stephen
Aramayo, Susan B. Jacobs, Mark T.
Barbour, Kirol R. Jarvis, Richard Michael
Bickle, Lou H. Johnson, Nancy Edith
Booth, Robert David Johnson, Richard G.
Broderick, Amelia Fitzjohn Kessler, Richard E.
Clark, Howard Dean Krug, Frederic M.
Cronin, A. Patricia Lee, David J.
Dimon, Judith K. Lester, Cheryl S.
Ehrman, James J. Loftus, Gerald J.
Elias, Patricia Long, Marva L.
Eustis, Wallace James Mayer, Margarete A.
Futch, Judith A. McCarthy, Robert E.
Gibbs, Christiane S. Moran, David Richard
Civil Service Retirements
Munshi, Kiki Skagen Blasenstein, Gerald Pfeffer, Clarita C.
Murphy, Sandra J. Foster, Jane H. Porter, Ruth L.
Myrick, Bismarck Fuchs, Lydia Esther Recachinas, George J.
O’Brien, Evelyn M. Glover, Thomas E. Shealey, Alvin R.
Patterson, Mildred Anne Jefferson, Charles James Simmons, Gina Coleen
Payne, Jeannette A. Khdair, Mafalda M. Stebbins, Wade W.
Press, Evan Lee Luk, Kam-Hung P. Tandy Sr., Maurice J.
Riordan, Jerris Kathleen Neilson, Thomas S. Velarde, Edilia E.
Smith, Paul R.
Vaccarino, Joseph C.
Valois, Denise Marie
Von Duerckheim, Marsha D.
Williams, Leonardo M.
Wood, Edwin J.

Contents March 2003 39

 O B I T U A R I E S
Sturgis R. Carbin, 82, a retired Foreign Service officer, died
July 12, 2002, in Cape Coral, Fla., from congestive heart
failure. Mr. Carbin served as an education adviser in
Vietnam and Indonesia before returning to Washington,
D.C., where he retired in 1980.
Daniel Lee Fisher, 62, a retired
Foreign Service communications
specialist, died Jan. 8 at Virginia
Hospital Center in Arlington from
myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune
disorder. Mr. Fisher’s assignments
took him to India, Pakistan, Bel-
gium, Brazil and Taiwan. Before
joining the State Department in
1965, he worked for the National
Science Foundation and the Federal Aviation
Administration. An Air Force veteran, he retired in 1990
and worked as a consultant at State until last year.
Donna Gigliotti, a Civil Service employee, died Dec. 16 in
Gibsonia, Pa., following a long illness. A longtime
Department employee, she had worked most recently for
the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Prior to
that, she had worked for the Bureau of Diplomatic
Security and as deputy editor of State Magazine in what
was then the Bureau of Personnel.
In the Event of Death
Questions concerning deaths in service should be
directed to the Employee Services Center, the
Department’s contact office for all deaths in service:
Harry S Truman Building, Room 1252, Department of
State, Washington, DC 20520-1252; (202) 647-3432; fax:
(202) 647-1429; e-mail: EmployeeServicesCenter@
state.gov.
40 State Magazine
Pat Hughes, a retired State Department employee, died of
cancer July 29, 2002, at her home in Washington, D.C. The
widow of Foreign Service officer Paul Hughes Sr., Mrs.
Hughes accompanied her husband on tours to London,
Helsinki and Cape Town. Except for stints with the
Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, she served
most of her time in Washington, D.C., with the old
Bureau of Personnel. She is the mother of former Foreign
Service officer Paul Hughes Jr.
Margaret E. “Margie” Lampe, 78, wife of retired Foreign
Service reserve officer Herbert R. Lampe, died June 30,
2002, of emphysema at a hospice in Port Orange, Fla.,
near Daytona Beach, their home. She lived with her hus-
band in Bowie, Md., during his career with the
Department’s Office of Security (now the Bureau of
Diplomatic Security) from 1952 to 1976. He had previ-
ously worked for the FBI and served with the U.S. Army
in the Philippines. She is buried in Arlington National
Cemetery.
Aileen S. Miles, 87, a retired Foreign
Service officer, died Jan. 14 of can-
cer at her home in Washington,
D.C. The former U.S. Information
Agency employee served in
Germany, Italy, Austria and
Afghanistan. She retired in 1976. As
a reporter with the U.S. Army after
World War II, she covered the
Nuremberg trials.
Questions concerning the deaths of retired Foreign
Service employees should be directed to the Office of
Retirement at (202) 261-8960, Retirement@state.gov.
Questions concerning the deaths of retired Civil
Service employees should be directed to the Office of
Personnel Management at (202) 606-0500, http://
www.opm.gov.
Contents
Contents